Denying Love
by Sapphire-sky16
Summary: Hermione loves Ron, but she won't admit it. Now that he's dating Lavender Brown, her irritation is rising. She tries to rationalize it in her mind, but it's not working.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine. JK's.

Author's Note: Okay, this is my first fan fiction. It's not the pairing I usually like, but it's something I wanted to try. Thanks for giving it a shot.

Hermione Granger sat in her last class for the day. Thankfully, she could escape in just five more minutes. _Why is this the second hand moving **so** slowly?_ she thought to herself. Professor Binns was being long-winded as usual, but generally she could force herself to pay attention for the entire lecture. He wasn't being any more boring than usual, but she just could not pay attention that day. She knew why, but she didn't want to admit it.

Two rows in front of her Ron was sitting with his new girlfriend, Lavender Brown. Professor Binns paid no attention to the fact that they were giggling and flirting rather than listening. Hermione glanced over at them again and rolled her eyes. _I don't know what he sees in her. She's so…girly. She's not very intelligent. Lavender only cares about her image, reputation, and boys, _Hermione thought with a tinge of bitterness even in the voice in her head. She would never admit it, but she was terribly envious of Lavender. It wasn't for her looks or the fact that boys flocked to her; it was because one boy flocked to her. The one boy she really liked.

Sighing exaggeratedly, she glanced back at the clock. Only one minute had gone by since the last time she checked. How long would this class drag on? She was beginning to become very antsy. Looking back toward the flirty couple, she saw Ron whispering in Lavender's ear with a smirk on his face. Lavender turned red and giggled, swatting Ron's arm softly. Ron kissed Lavender's cheek and linked his hand in hers. Hermione felt her own face turning red, but it was from anger. _Really!_ She thought. _They should be paying attention to class, not to each other! Don't they realize that they're missing an important lecture about…_ She stopped in the middle of her mental tirade when she realized that she had no idea what Professor Binns' lecture was about. Huffing a bit, she tried to focus in for the last few minutes, but her attempts were futile. Every time she looked toward the professor, all she could see was the cozy little couple sitting in front of her.

Class finally was dismissed what was only a few minutes later, but it seemed like a century to Hermione. Hurrying off to the common room, she heard a name calling behind her.

"Hermione!" the voice shouted.

Turning around, she saw the face that matched the voice. Her best friend, Harry Potter was a little red in the face after having to basically run down the halls to catch up with her. "Yes, Harry? Did you need something?" she asked, rather irritated she was stopped on her journey to her room. All she wanted to do is lay down on her bed and read.

"Why were you in such a hurry? It's time for supper. You're not planning on skipping a meal again, are you Hermione? You realize that it's bad for you to skip meals. I'm starting to worry about you. You've been acting really tense lately." Harry looked at her with concern written across his face. She felt badly for avoiding her friends the past week, but Harry and Ron were always together, and Ron was always with Lavender. She really just wanted to escape having to watch the two of them together.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said, sincere in that aspect, "I've just been extra busy lately." Okay, so that was a lie. She wasn't any busier than she had been before Lavender and Ron started dating. She just didn't want to be around the two of them together. She told herself that it was only because she thought it was weird for anyone to be all over Ron, but somewhere deep down she realized that it was because of her affections toward the ginger-haired boy.

Harry looked a little suspicious as she said it, but he decided not to bother her about it. He was afraid he'd only push her away more if he tried to get anything else out of her. "So, are you coming to dinner with me then, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded, and they walked into the Great Hall together. Her eyes immediately fell upon Lavender and Ron. Lavender was basically on his lap as they smiled affectionately at each other. Hermione felt like leaving, but Harry seemed to feel her tensing up again and took her arm softly, leading her to the table to sit with him.

"Hey mate!" Harry said to Ron as he sat down to his left.

"Hmmmm…Oh! Hi Harry, Hermione," Ron said, not taking his eyes off of Lavender. This aggravated Hermione. He couldn't stop paying attention to Lavender long enough to even greet them properly. Hermione decided not to start anything over it, and muttered a quiet, "Hello," before beginning to eat her meal.

She already knew that supper was not going to go by any more quickly than her last class had.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Once again, I must say that the characters, setting, etc. do not belong to me.

Denying Love – Chapter 2 

Grinding her teeth together angrily, Hermione subconsciously narrowed her eyes and cut her the meat on her steak more deliberately. Without even realizing it, she started to scrape the plate, alerting everyone to her agitated state. Suddenly she snapped out of her trance to find everyone staring at her with questioningly. She looked down and saw the thin lines her knife had imprinted into the plate. Dropping the knife quickly, she looked around to see everyone still facing her. _Well, not __**everyone**_ she noted bitterly. Lavender was kissing _Won Won's _nose and feeding him. Any hunger she had been experiencing instantly left her, and she stood up and walked calmly out of the room.

After she made it away from the piercing glances of her classmates, she ran to room and hopped onto her bed, not wanting to leave. Turning to her back, she looked over to Lavender's side of the room. She scrunched her nose up in disgust as she looked at all the pretty pink decoration that covered Lavender's walls. _Is that really what Ron wants? _Hermione pondered. _Does he want a thoughtless hussy that only cares about appearances?_

Sighing, she gathered some of her books out of her bag and started a Transfiguration Essay that was not due for another two weeks. She needed to take her mind off of Ron. If he wanted to be with Lavender, that was just fine with her. She did not need a man that would not appreciate her intelligence. Just as she resolved not to think about Ron anymore, Parvati walked into the room and plopped down on the bed by Hermione.

"Harry and Ginny are worried about you. They don't know what has been going on with you lately. They say you seem distant. What's going on?" Parvati questioned.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. If she did not want to talk to Harry and Ginny about her problems, she definitely did not want to talk to the ½ of the school's biggest gossip team. Especially since the other half of Parvati was not her twin Padma, but rather Lavender. Just thinking about Lavender caused her to clutch her fist. Hermione gathered her emotions and decided to be civil, "Nothing is wrong, Parvati. I just needed to get some homework done. I forgot about it until just then. I don't want to not get it done on time."

Parvati glanced down at Hermione's homework and saw that what she was working on was not due for a few weeks. "Hermione, you have plenty of time to get that done. You should just go relax with your friends. Speaking of your friends, aren't Lav and Ron adorable? They seem so happy together."

By the time Parvati had finished her statement, Hermione was squeezing the bed sheets tightly, her knuckles white from the tight clutch she had to refrain from screaming. "Yes, _adorable,"_ Hermione repeated in a very forced tone.

Parvati started to continue gushing over the _cute_ couple, and Hermione stood up and tried to mask a scowl. "You're right," she interrupted Parvati mid-sentence. "I have not been spending enough time with my friends. I should really go talk to them. I wouldn't want them angry with me."

Parvati ignored the fact that she had been snubbed and grinned at the thought of know-it-all Hermione saying that she was right about something. Nodding happily at Hermione, she said, "Well, off you go, then."

Hermione left the Gryffindor common room with no intention of talking to Ginny and Harry. She decided to go out to a path near the Forbidden Forest and walk to clear her mind. When she went outside, the warm sun danced across her face and made her instantly more peaceful. However, that emotion was fleeting. As soon as she got only about a quarter of a mile along her path, she saw Lavender and Ron snogging underneath a willow tree. Hermione barely suppressed an aggravated scream as she turned around and stormed away from the scene. Not paying attention to where she was walking, she ran right into a hard, toned chest. Falling down very ungracefully, she hopped up quickly with her cheeks red in embarrassment and fury. She fully expected to continue without saying a word to the person she collided with, but she was caught by the shoulder and turned to face the owner of the firm body.

Harry looked down at her, his eyebrows knitted together in worry. "Hermione, what's going on? You seem to be trying to avoid us. Don't tell me you're busy. If you were busy, then you would not be walking around and running into people outside."

_Drats! There goes that excuse,_ thought Hermione. "Nothing's going on, Harry. I just have been dealing with…personal problems. Girl problems. You wouldn't understand." Hermione congratulated herself internally for thinking about one thing that guys hardly ever questioned.

Harry looked at her suspiciously, but decided not to question her any further because he really did not want to hear about any womanly issues. "You should talk to Ginny. She's been worried about you, too. She'd probably understand better. Ron…Ron hasn't said much, but I'm sure he's also worried about you."

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked back to the spot she saw Ron and Lavender basically shagging on the grass. Okay, so maybe they weren't that far, but still…they should not be acting like hormonal teenagers out in front of everyone. So what if they were actually hormonal teenagers? They should have some sort of dignity. "I doubt Ron has noticed anything aside from Lavender's lips," she said, a bit more bitterly than she meant to.

Harry's eyes widened in shock; however, shortly after Hermione practically saw the light bulb flicker on in his head. "Hermione, you don't…what I mean to say…it's not like you and Ron…?" Harry seemed unable to actually articulate the question, and Hermione decided to play dumb in order to not face the question.

"Harry, I don't know what you're mumbling about, but you're right. I should go talk to Ginny. Thanks for the advice." She stood on the tips of her toes to kiss Harry's cheek before running off, almost actually considering talking to Ginny. However, she really only wanted some alone time, away from her prying friends and snogging crush.

After several minutes, she was finally alone in the Astronomy Tower. She sat and looked out the windows. She realized she needed to do something about her issues with Ron and Lavender. Her frustration had begun to interfere with her other friendships. She needed to do something, but what?


	3. Chapter 3

Denying Love—Chapter 3 

Author's Note: Once again I must say that the characters and setting do not belong to me. I actually updated two days in a row. I'm quite proud of myself. If you guys like the story, I will make more of an effort to update it frequently. Anyway, here it goes.

After spending a few hours sitting and brooding up in the Astronomy Tower, she came to conclusion. She had to get over Ron. She made it a mission to attempt to push away her emotions that went past a feeling of platonic friendship with Ron.

Glancing at her watch, she realized that it was almost curfew and hurried down to her room. Hoping that Parvati and Lavender would be getting their beauty sleep, she walked in to start erasing her emotions for Ron. Unfortunately, Lavender and Parvati were both up and talking about Lavender's relationship with Ron.

"Oh my goodness, Lav. I cannot believe how lucky you are! You have one of the two Gryffindor studs! Imagine if I could snag Harry. The two of us would be the envy of all the girls in the school—Oh! Hey Hermione! I didn't see you there. Did you have a nice talk with Harry and Gin?"

Hermione merely nodded and took out a notebook. Seeing that Hermione was not in a talkative mood, Parvati turns back to Lavender to continue the conversation, "I wonder if Harry has his eye on anyone in particular. He always hangs around with Ginny and Hermione." She turns back to Hermione, "Do you know if he likes anyone, Hermione?"

Hermione shrugs and looks back down to her notebook. On the top of the page she wrote in her small, neat script, "Reasons Ron is NOT Meant for Me."

Parvati glances back over to Lavender as if to see if she should try to push the issue further with Hermione. Lavender shakes her head and whispers, "I think she's a bit envious of the two of us already." Hermione hears the statement, but decides not to comment. She just grips her quill more tightly, nearly breaking it when she notices Parvati nodding in agreement.

Parvati's face lights up as she gets a _brilliant_ idea. "Hermione! You should let Lav and I give you a makeover. You'd really be quite pretty if you put a bit more effort into your appearance. Maybe guys would start to notice you!"

Hermione rolls her eyes and looks over at Parvati, "Honestly, Parvati. I have too much to do to care about my looks. You two may be content with catching the attention of all the guys in Hogwarts, but I am trying to prepare myself for life after Hogwarts." Hermione finishes her spew with a firm look at Parvati, silently informing her never to speak of the issue again.

"But Hermione!" Parvati whines, "You could look so nice! It wouldn't even take very long. Your hair is not nearly as bushy as it used to be. In fact, with a bit of product you may be able to transform it from a nest to waves. Plus, your clothes add about five pounds to your frame! You're slim, but you never show it. Throw in a bit of light makeup and you could be a hottie."

"Thank you," Hermione responds in a cold, barely civil tone, "for your concern. However, I do not need your help. Anyone that does not appreciate me for how I am now is not worthy of my time."

"Parv is right, you know," Lavender interjects. "I was talking about my sweet Ronnie about how much time you two used to spend together. At first, I was worried that he would leave me for you, but he assured me that he and the rest of the guys always viewed you as one of the guys. Well, except for Yule Ball during our forth year. It seems like most of them have forgotten about that since you have chosen to neglect your appearance ever since."

Hermione sends Lavender a glacial glare, but deep down she's more than a little concerned about what she said. _Do all the guys really see me as just a guy? Will I never find someone that will appreciate me for the smart young woman I am?_

Lavender turns her attention back to Parvati, "If she does not want our help, let her be. After all, I don't want my Ron to pay any attention to her."

Hermione's ire increases and the quill in her hand snaps. _How dare she say something like that about me as though I'm not even here? I'll show her. I can get the attention of guys, but I will do it in a way that does not make me look like the…loose woman she seems to be. _Hermione stands and decides to go out of her room into the Gryffindor common room. Sitting down on a plush couch in front of the crackling fire, she takes out a new quill and dabs it into the ink to continue her list. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to prove Lavender wrong, she still needed to get over her adoration of Ron.

Reasons Ron is NOT Meant for Me

He could never carry on a deep, meaningful, intellectual conversation with me. He's too interested in sports…especially quidditch

He apparently goes for classless, brainless, curvy women. _Hermione looked down at her own figure. She was not curvy, but she did not have a bad body. Maybe she was a bit slim, but many guys showed interest in Ginny, and Ginny was not especially curvy either. _

Ron views me as a guy, and he could never see me as anything aside from a best friend. _Tears start to form in her eyelids, but she quickly blinks them away. She would not get over Ron by crying over him. She had to be strong._

Ron was a slob. She was overly organized in everything, and she had seen his room before on a trip to The Burrow. He had everything scattered all over his floors. She could never tolerate all the clutter.

A sudden noise from the staircase leading up the girls' rooms interrupts her thought process. She looks up to find a sleepy Ginny walking toward her.

"Hey 'Mione. What are you doing out here? Lav and Parv driving you crazy again?" Ginny asks.

"I guess you could say that," Hermione responds with a sigh. "What about you? Why are you out here?"

"Oh, I've just had a lot on my mind lately," Ginny replies. "So, what are the gossip queens on about now?"

Hermione feels her blood begin to boil again at the thought of the terrible twosome upstairs. "They're on about giving me a makeover. They think that it's the only way I'd ever get any attention from the guys in the school."

Hermione glanced over to Ginny, expecting to find her just as irate; however, her glance is met with a thoughtful look. "Oh no, Ginny. You're not siding with them, are you?"

Ginny bites her lower lip, knowing she should be careful with the words about to exit her lips, "Hermione, I don't think that there is anything wrong with the way you look. However, I don't think changing your appearance a bit would be bad for you. You're always stressing out over school work and helping others; maybe it's time you do something for yourself."

"Ginny, I'm not going to let Lavender and Parvati turn me into their doll. I don't want to look like them," Hermione states firmly.

"I didn't say anything about having them do it. I would be more than happy to help you with a makeover. We could go to Hogsmeade to pick up a few things this weekend. I'll make sure you end up still looking classy and sophisticated, but you'll also throw the guys for a loop."

Hermione looked down at her list for a split second, having forgotten why she was down there to begin with, and then she closes the notebook and looks up at Ginny. "Okay," Hermione states, almost reluctantly. "I'm in."


	4. Chapter 4

Denying Love—Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The characters and all of Harry-Potterland are sadly not mine. :(

A/N: Sorry if there's not enough details on the clothing. I'm going for a kind of casual yet classic look for her. I don't want her to end up too showy. If you don't like the selection of clothing, you can pretend it's different and not read the end of the chapter.

At precisely 6:00 A.M on Saturday morning, Hermione woke up due to a persistent knocker at the door to her dorm. The only happiness she gathered from the rude awakening came from the outraged shrieks from Lavender and Parvati about their beauty sleep being disturbed. In a slightly better mood after upsetting the terrible twosome, she stood up and opened the door to see a cheerful, smiling redhead staring at her.

"What are you doing? You look as though you just woke up. We're going shopping, remember?" Ginny reminded Hermione happily.

Glancing at her clock, she saw how early it really was and told Ginny to return at 8:00 when she would actually wake up and get ready. With an attempt to accentuate her meaning, she softly nudges Ginny out of her doorway. However, with the years of quidditch practice, Ginny pushes Hermione back and enters the room, heading to Hermione's closet. "Nonsense, my dear. It will take us all day to do everything needed to complete the transformation," Ginny states authoritatively as she pulls out a large hooded sweatshirt. "Large? You wear a size small. Why in the world is this in your closet?"

"It's comfortable, and I like it," Hermione responds as she grabs the sweatshirt from Ginny, along with a pair of sweatpants and undergarments, and heads toward the bathroom for a shower since she realizes any hope for sleep was crushed as soon as Ginny made it into her room.

While Hermione is out of the room, Parvati and Lavender walk over to Ginny, who is standing by Hermione's closet, still sorting through clothes.

"So, she's letting you give her the makeover, then? That's hard to believe. She wouldn't let Parv or I give her one, and we're the most fashionable girls in the whole school," Lavender stated, clearly confused.

Ginny tries to hide her annoyance at Lavender and says, "I think that she's letting me give her one only because we're such close friends. I doubt it's anything personal, Lavender." _Ha!_ Ginny thought _Nothing personal? That was a good one, Ginerva. You know that the two of them could be mistaken for prostitutes if put in the wrong location, but it was a good cover._

The answer seemed to slightly assuage Lavender's irritation, and she let go of the issue and started to chatter with Parvati about the day at Hogsmeade and her plans with Ron.

When the two stop paying attention to Ginny, she continues to pull clothes out of Hermione's closet. Most of the garments look to be items either a 4 year old or a 94 year old would wear. Pulling out a trash sack, she starts to throw most of the clothing into the bag. A few minutes later, Hermione exits the steaming bathroom to witness the disposal of her clothing.

"What on earth do you think you're doing, Ginerva Weasley?" Hermione asks in a harsh tone.

Ginny's shoulders tense a bit after hearing the anger present in Hermione's voice, but she decides not to back down. "Hermione, these clothes are absolutely awful. You'll thank me eventually."

Hermione mutters under her breath, "Who do you think you are? Stacy and Clinton from _What Not to Wear?_ If so, where's my $5,000 dollars."

Ginny looks up, confused at the reference to the show, but she does not let it bother her. She continues to pile 5/6 of Hermione's wardrobe into the trash bag. "Okay, you can wear those sweats this one last time out in public, but after today, you will not even want to wear them anymore. Are you ready?"

"Ready as I ever will be," Hermione states bluntly, and the two leave to get to Hogsmeade early, before most people are up to see them.

"Alright, the first thing we need to do is take care of your mop of hair. Seriously! Did you even comb it before we left this morning?" Ginny questions, with a bit of disbelief in her voice.

"You were in a rush to get out. Besides, sometimes I don't have time to comb it in the morning. It always does what it wants regardless," Hermione says in attempt to place the blame on genetics.

"We're going to change that," Ginny states enthusiastically. "We're headed to Minnie's Hair Palace. I hear she performs miracles with hair. Are you ready to say goodbye to bushy Granger and hello to chic Hermione?"

Rolling her eyes at her friend's statement, Hermione simply nods, deciding that nothing Minnie does could make it worse than it already is. The two walk slowly into the large, sparklingly clean shop. Minnie walks over to Hermione and surveys her hair with a critical glance. Hermione squirms a bit under Minnie's intense gaze, but mumbles out a soft, "How are you?"

Minnie does not hear the soft question, but starts to demand that her assistants bring her multiple styling products along with scissors and a robe to tie around Hermione. Raking her fingers through Hermione's hair, Minnie looks at her and decides exactly what she needs to do to make Hermione's hair look gorgeous. Nothing had to be done with the color; it was already a rich, honey brown that brought out the warm flecks in her brown eyes. The main problem was the bushy look.

After an hour of straightening spells and products, Hermione was finally allowed to look in the mirror. Her hair now fell to midway down her back in glossy ringlets that framed her pretty face. She had been frightened that her hair would look flat, dull, and fried. However, she was pleasantly surprised at the change. Smiling, she twirls a soft ringlet around her finger and looks up at Minnie appreciatively. "How long is it going to take to make my hair look like this in the morning?" Hermione asks, nervous to hear the answer.

"You shouldn't have to do much, really. All of the charms and products are meant to last for at least 6 months. You will just have to come in for appointments after that time," Minnie says as she grabs a shampoo and conditioner. "Also, these will help keep it from becoming frizzy before then. Other than using these products, you won't have to do anything more than you would usually have to."

Hermione stands up, still glancing at herself in the mirror, shocked at the difference in her appearance after only changing her hair. Heading to the counter, she pays for the shampoo, conditioner, and hair styling. "What's next, Gin?"

"I think we should get you started on some makeup. You don't need much, your skin is already flawless. I just want you to get some eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss," Ginny instructs as they walk into a cosmetics shop.

After only ten minutes, Hermione walks out with a bag full of many different colors of eye shadow and kinds of lip-gloss, along with the eyeliner and mascara. She still wanted to experiment a bit with them. Ginny had spoken about blending and doing different colors together to create different effects. Hermione decided to give it a shot, and Ginny helped her put some on while in the store to show Hermione some techniques. Even with her sweatshirt and baggy pants, Hermione already saw the improvement in her appearance and was happy she decided to go through with the makeover. She was now more comfortable with herself. The makeover ceased to be about making Ron notice her, and it became more about being happy with her own appearance. She was actually looking forward to picking out some clothes.

The two girls spent hours going to all the muggle clothing stores in Hogsmeade. Hermione ended up finding an entire replacement wardrobe easily. She found many blouses that accentuated her trim figure without looking too tight or too showy. Some had necklines that were a bit lower than her liking, but Ginny assured her that none of them were too low, and that they looked stunning on her. To match the new blouses, she bought mostly skirts and slacks. She was happy to find many beautiful skirts that matched the blouses that were about knee-length. Her main concern with skirts was the length. Parvati and Lavender always wore skirts that left little to the imagination. All of the skirts Hermione selected showed off her slim, lightly muscled legs with class.

Along with the skirts, slacks and blouses, she found a number of light-weight summer dresses that were bright and cute, but still made her look sophisticated. She even found, under the guidance of Ginny, the perfect little black dress that Hermione realized looked amazing on her. She was starting to see that she could be pretty if she put a bit of effort into it, regardless whether or not she had a huge bust size.

After buying those outfits, she picked out a few pairs of skinny jeans and tank tops that Ginny persuaded her to grab for relaxing with friends outdoors. They shrank the bags down to make them easier to carry, and Hermione put on a purple, V-necked ¾ length sleeve shirt along with a white, knee-length skirt and went back to the more populated areas in Hogsmeade to see how the school would respond to Hermione's new appearance.


	5. Chapter 5

Denying Love—Chapter 5 

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potterish

A/N: I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. I really don't have any excuse for it. I apologize. Please don't hate me. I love you!

Recap since it has been so long: _They shrank the bags down to make them easier to carry, and Hermione put on a purple, V-necked ¾ length sleeve shirt along with a white, knee-length skirt and went back to the more populated areas in Hogsmeade to see how the school would respond to Hermione's new appearance._

On with the story… 

After walking for a little while, Hermione spotted Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks, both of which were swarming with students that she recognized. Her glance lingered over toward Flourish and Blotts, which was noticeably less crowded. Hermione just couldn't understand how the students could resist the temptation of old, dusty tomes packed with so much useful, fascinating information. Ginny had anticipated her distraction, and she grabbed Hermione's arm and gently lead her back in the right direction.

"Hermione, love," whispered Ginny, "Remember, you're on a mission. You are supposed to show off your new look. Do you really think that you'll find many Hogwarts students in your beloved bookstore?"

Hermione sighed, realizing that Ginny was right. She was not going to get anyone's attention in the bookshop, aside from possibly a few professors and other older witches and wizards passing through Hogsmeade. Besides, she _was_ trying to gain some appreciation from the male population. Well, to be quite honest, she was trying to gain the attention of a red-headed, quidditch-playing male who currently was infatuated with a blonde-haired, large-busted, air-headed female. Hermione looked back over to Ginny and said, "You're right, Gin. Where should we start?"

Before Ginny could reply, a certain blonde Slytherin accompanied by his own personal goon squad walked up behind them. Draco, clearly not recognizing Hermione, said, "Well, what do we have here? A new student? Careful, love. You don't want to get mixed up with the wrong crowd. Weasels are the last people you want to be seen associating with, aside from mudbloods like Granger, that is."

Malfoy's cronies started laughing loudly about his joke and guidance directed at the curly-haired woman standing before them. Hermione felt herself shaking with anger, while Ginny spun around quickly and had her wand out, pointed directly at the throat of the Slytherin prince. She hissed at him, "Don't you dare speak that way about my family or Hermione. I know some particularly _painful_ and _embarrassing _hexes that I would not hesitate to use on you if you can't learn to keep your mouth SHUT!"

Hermione by this time had regained her composure and turned around to face the action. After a moment of staring at her, Malfoy's jaw dropped as he realized that he had been directing his attention to none other than Hermione Granger, resident bookworm and know-it-all. Hermione smirked as she read the emotions that were displayed so vividly through Malfoy's eyes. "Am I not who you expected, Ferret? You should probably close your mouth before flies start to make themselves at home in it."

Malfoy's face turned bright red as he closed his jaw quickly and glared at Hermione, his fists clinched at his sides, ready to say something when Crabbe broke in the conversation.

"Gee, Malfoy. She sure does sound a lot like Mudblood Granger. Maybe they're related." Crabbe stated dumbly.

"You IDIOT!" Malfoy screeched, his attention and anger now focused on Crabbe, "It IS Mudblood Granger. She apparently got tired of looking at herself in the mirror and decided to try to do something with the disgusting mop of hair she had and the painfully out-of-date wardrobe."

"Oh," Crabbe replied, now understanding the situation. "Well that would explain why she sounded like her, right, Draco?"

Malfoy just rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, turning his attention back to Hermione, "Why did you decide to change the way you look? Did your mirror keep on breaking when you looked into it? Are you trying to recapture the attention of Potty and Weasel?"

"No," Hermione stated simply, "I just wanted a change. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some more important issues to address than your concerns about my appearance. Unless you have anything interesting to say, you should just run off and do whatever it is you Death Eaters enjoy. I don't have time for you." Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm and stormed away from the situation

Malfoy sneered after her but decided that it was best to hold his tongue…for now. He would get his revenge later. He took one last glance at Hermione and then took off in the opposite direction, his cronies following him.

Hermione took Ginny into the Three Broomsticks, and they sat in a booth and ordered two Butterbeers. "You handled that quite nicely, Hermione," Ginny remarked. "Malfoy was almost speechless when he saw who you were. That arrogant prat…it was about time he closed his mouth…"

"Thanks, Gin. I just get so tired of him. He is always up to no good. Let's not let him ruin our day, though. There are plenty of other people to see."

Just then, Dean and Seamus walked through the door. Recognizing Ginny, they walked over to the table to say hello.

"Hey, Gin" Seamus said, as Dean nodded a hello behind him. "Who have you got with you? Is she a new student?"

Hermione chuckled and rolled her eyes, "You guys! It's me! Hermione. Best friend of Ron and Harry. You've known me for years."

Dean and Seamus both turned a rather impressive shade of red when they realized that they had not recognized someone they had known and spoken with for ages. "We're sorry, 'Mione," Dean stated, "We just didn't recognize you at first with your hair so…and your face so…and you have clothes that…" he just broke off and stared.

Blushing slightly, Hermione smiled gracefully and said, "Honestly, it's just a bit of makeup with some hair spells and a new outfit. You act like I've changed myself completely!"

Seamus grinned sheepishly, "So, what do you say we put this behind us and I buy you two a round of butterbeers?"

Hermione agreed and the two joined Hermione and Ginny at the table. They chatted for about ten minutes about random occurrences at Hogwarts before someone walking through the entrance caught Hermione's eye. It was Ron, and he wasn't alone. He had his arm draped lazily around Lavender's shoulders and was talking to Harry, probably about quidditch. Beside Lavender was Parvati. Hermione assumed she tagged along because she wanted to get closer to Harry. Ron looked up and recognized Ginny, Dean and Seamus and started walking toward their table. Hermione took a few deep breaths and prepared herself for the confrontation. It was now time to see whether or not the makeover had paid off…


	6. Chapter 6

Denying Love—Chapter 6 

Disclaimer: Harry and his pals aren't mine, unfortunately. I could use some money to pay for my college loans. :P

A/N: It was brought to my attention by a lovely reviewer that Flourish and Blotts is indeed not in Hogsmeade. I'm sorry for the error. Thanks for the correction. 

Recap: _They chatted for about ten minutes about random occurrences at Hogwarts before someone walking through the entrance caught Hermione's eye. It was Ron, and he wasn't alone. He had his arm draped lazily around Lavender's shoulders and was talking to Harry, probably about quidditch. Beside Lavender was Parvati. Hermione assumed she tagged along because she wanted to get closer to Harry. Ron looked up and recognized Ginny, Dean and Seamus and started walking toward their table. Hermione took a few deep breaths and prepared herself for the confrontation. It was now time to see whether or not the makeover had paid off…_

Now, on with the new chapter!

"Hey there, mates!" Ron greeted cheerily, pulling up a chair to the table. Lavender decided that instead of pulling up her own chair, she would seat herself daintily on Ron's lap.

"How is it going, everyone?" Harry greeted as he pulled up two chairs, one to the left of Ron and Lavender, and the other to the right. He thought that Parvati was a nice enough girl, but he was not interested in her. Harry didn't want her to get the wrong idea, so he sat down on the left of Ron while Parvati plopped down sulkily on the other side, her face scrunched in obvious displeasure.

Hermione remained quiet, silently glaring at Lavender and Ron until Ginny's voice broke her out of her trance.

"We're doing well, Harry. Just decided to have a few butterbeers and catch up," Ginny said with a broad smile. She had always had a slight crush on Harry, and she secretly enjoyed the fact that he obviously was not interested in Parvati.

"And make new friends?" Ron questioned, his eyes now fixed on Hermione. "My name is Ron Weasley. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ron said with a winning smile.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh, "Honestly, Ronald. We've been best mates for years and YOU can't recognize me in some new clothes with some makeup and hair treatment?" Hermione asked, slightly frustrated at how dense many of her male friends were.

Ron quickly leapt to his feet, obviously shocked. "Hermione?" He asked, his voice taking an unnaturally high-pitched tone.

As he jumped to his feet, Lavender fell unceremoniously to the floor and whined, "Won Won. You let me fall! Help me back up!" She pouted and lifted her hand up toward Ron expectantly.

Hermione, Ginny, and Harry were very poorly hiding their amusement behind their hands, trying not to laugh out loud at Lavender. Parvati looked down at her, slightly concerned for her best friend but also somewhat amused at how ridiculous she looked pouting on the floor like a child.

Ron absentmindedly held out a hand and yanked Lavender back to her feet, still staring at Hermione.

Harry smiled genuinely at Hermione and said, "You look gorgeous, 'Mione. You've always been pretty, but it's nice to see you take some time to treat yourself.

"Thanks, Harry." Hermione said with a beaming smile. She stood up from her seat and gave Harry a big hug for his comment.

"And Ginny, I assume you had something to do with this? You did an amazing job," Harry said, his eyes directed at the now blushing redhead.

"Oh, it was nothing," Ginny said, modestly. "As you said, she was already pretty. I just tried to get her to showcase it a bit more." Ginny smiled shyly at Harry and he smiled widely back at her.

Ron seemed to have finally regained the ability to talk and said, "Hermione. You look…what I mean to say is…the clothes are different…and the face is, too…with the hair…and…yeah." Ron stumbled through his speech, Lavender now glaring at her boyfriend who was obviously taken aback by Hermione's new appearance.

"Umm…thanks, Ron?" Hermione smiled, good-naturedly, knowing that Ron was not ever necessarily the best with words.

Ron smiled back and gave her a hug. Now Lavender scowled at Hermione. She was desperate to regain the attention of her "Won Won" so she pleaded, "Won Won, I'm thirty. Go get me a butterbeer."

Ron grabbed some money out of his pocket and handed it to Lavender, "You can go grab one. While you're at it, will you get me one, too?"

Lavender huffed and stomped her foot. "Ronald, I need to talk to you for a minute. _Alone._" Lavender then grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him over near the restrooms where she thought they were out of hearing range. "Ron Weasley, I cannot believe you were practically drooling over her! She's the same nerdy, bookish, boring, prudish girl that she's always been."

Hermione's jaw clenched as she heard Lavender's words, while Ginny's scowled and clenched her fists. Ginny started to stand up but Hermione put her arm on Ginny's, silently telling her to leave the situation alone. Besides, they both wanted to hear how Ron would respond to Lavender's rant. "Lavender! Don't talk about Hermione that way. She is one of my best mates. Sure she spends a lot of time with her books and studying, but she is a great person and good friend. She means a lot to me and if you can't understand it, then I don't know how we are going to be able to stay together," Ron replied, the anger obvious in his voice.

Lavender then realized that Ron was not going to listen to her about Hermione and plastered on a sickeningly sweet smile, "I'm sorry, Won Won. I just get a little jealous sometimes. I only like you to look at me that way. You understand, don't you sweetheart?"

Ron smiled down at Lavender, completely buying into her excuse. "It's okay, Lavender. I understand. I get jealous sometimes, too."

With that, Lavender tilted her head up and wrapped her arms around Ron's shoulders, kissing him on the lips. Ron circled his arms around Lavender's waist and kissed her back.

Having heard the conversation, Hermione swallowed a lump in her throat and forced back the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks and excused herself before walking hastily toward the exit. Ginny smiled half-heartedly at Harry one last time and thanked Seamus and Dean for the butterbeers before rushing after Hermione. After the two had already left the building, Ron glanced back over at the table and asked, "Where did they go?"

Harry just shook his head, having already put the pieces of the puzzle together. Ron shrugged and bought a butterbeer for himself and Lavender before sitting back down.

"Hermione!" Ginny yelled as she followed Hermione through the crowded streets, almost having to run to catch up with her. When she finally grabbed Hermione's arm and spun her around, she could see a single tear streaming slowly down Hermione's cheek. She pulled Hermione into a tight, Mrs. Weasley-style hug. "Don't worry, 'Mione. He'll come around. He's just a bit slow on the uptake. You're way better than Lavender." She took Hermione over to a quieter portion of Hogsmeade, and Hermione finally let the tears fall freely, no longer afraid of others seeing her.

"Oh, Ginny. It was stupid of me to think that he would ditch Lavender for me. She's one of the most beautiful girls in school. This makeover idea was just ridiculous…"

"Stop right there, Hermione," Ginny interrupted, "The makeover was for you, not for Ron. Even if Ron doesn't realize how special you are, someone else will. Did you see the way Seamus and Dean gawked at you? Heck, even Malfoy almost started to hit on you. You are beautiful on the inside and your outside has always matched that, but now you look more put-together. It'll benefit you in the long run. Don't give up on this makeover just because Ronald is an idiot."

"Oh, you're right Gin." Hermione admitted, "I just had hoped that he and I would…I don't know. I always thought that we would end up together in the end."

"And you still might," Ginny replied, "But until that happens, don't let him stop you from giving other people chances. Have a little bit of fun, it won't hurt anything. I'm sure you wouldn't let it have an impact on your grades, anyway." Ginny offered Hermione a tissue that Hermione accepted gratefully, wiping away her tears.

"Thanks for everything, Gin. I'll think about giving other people chances, but for right now, I just want to get back to Hogwarts."

"Okay, let's go. We can fix up your makeup and rest a while, then you can shock the rest of the school at Supper tonight."

Hermione agreed and the two headed back to the castle to rest up for what would be a very interesting evening.


	7. Chapter 7

Denying Love—Chapter 7 

Disclaimer: I know that I don't own Harry Potter. Otherwise, my words would magically turn into gold. ;)

Recap_: Thanks for everything, Gin. I'll think about giving other people chances, but for right now, I just want to get back to Hogwarts."_

"Okay, let's go. We can fix up your makeup and rest a while, then you can shock the rest of the school at Supper tonight."

_Hermione agreed and the two headed back to the castle to rest up for what would be a very interesting evening._

Ginny and Hermione returned to Hogwarts before most of the other students. Immediately, they rushed up to Gryffindor Common Room. "Do we really have to go to supper, Ginny? I don't really want to see Ron and Lavender make out. It really makes me lose my appetite. We can just sneak into the kitchen and grab something to eat up in our rooms." Hermione suggested.

"Hermione," Ginny said in her best Mrs. Weasley-esque tone, "avoiding something doesn't make it go away. You will just be sitting up here THINKING about how they are making out…just like you're doing right now. Put yourself together, girl! We're going down to the Great Hall to eat."

Hermione sighed, knowing that Ginny was right. She would just bitterly think of how Lavender was probably all over Ron, and Ron would let her do whatever she wanted. Hermione never thought Ron would let ANYTHING come between him and his food, but she was wrong. As long as that _thing_ was a leggy, blonde, busty female.

While Hermione was thinking, Ginny went through her new clothes and picked out a great outfit for her to wear to show off her new appearance in the Great Hall that evening. The skirt was a simple, black skirt that was just below the knee in length, showing off her toned calves. The blouse was a ¾ length –sleeved shirt, deep crimson color that clung to her slim figure without appearing to be too tight or showy For shoes, she wore a pair of simple black flats, and Ginny picked out a sterling silver necklace with a heart-shaped ruby to go with it. When Hermione snapped out of her trance, she looked up to find an outfit already setting out for her. "Thank you, Ginny. Do you want to come pick out my outfits every day?" Hermione said, half-jokingly.

Ginny smiled, "You are perfectly capable of picking out your own outfits, and you will do so every day. I just knew you were off in your own little world and picked one for the night." With a flick of her wand, Ginny transported all of Hermione's clothes into closet and dresser. "Well. What are you waiting for? Get dressed!"

"Okay! I'm dressing!" With that, Hermione changed into her outfit and spun in front of her mirror, enjoying the feeling of her skirt swooshing against her knees.

Ginny smiled, amused by Hermione's display. "Okay, now it's time for makeup, and your hair needs touched up just a little bit." After about fifteen minutes, her hair was perfectly restored to the glossy ringlets and her makeup was done. Ginny quickly touched up her own hair and makeup and then they were ready.

Meanwhile, Ron, Harry, Lavender and Parvati were on their way to the Great Hall. "Do ya reckon I made 'Mione mad, Harry?" Ron asked for the fourth time. Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head as Lavender's face turned back into a childlike pout.

"Don't you think you've asked about her enough, Ron? I'm sure she's fine. She never stays mad at you long anyway. You are one of her few friends. If she got mad at you over something stupid, her already small supply of buddies would shrink even more." Lavender said with a little more bite than she had intended.

Parvati looked at Lavender, shocked she would say something so vile about someone, especially someone her boyfriend obviously cared for. Harry looked as though he wanted to hex the pout off of her immature, rude face. Ron looked slightly aggravated at the attack.

"Lavender! Hermione has tons of friends. Everyone likes her. She's nice, considerate, smart, pretty, and fun. Why don't you like her?" Ron asked, truthfully curious.

"She's a bossy little know-it-all who has you wrapped around her finger! That's why I don't like her, and just for the record, people like her because she will do her homework for them." Lavender answered.

"That is not true! Hermione doesn't even do Harry's and my homework. She's too honest for that. I'm not wrapped around her finger, and people like her because she's sincere and sweet. She's not bossy. She's just very straight-forward and opinionated. I know you're just jealous, but saying bad things about Hermione is not gaining you any points in my book." Ron retaliated.

"You're right, Won-Won. Let's just go get something to eat, okay sweetheart? I bet you're hungry." Lavender said, eager to end this argument. As she said it, she snaked an arm around his waist and patted his stomach softly. Ron was still a bit upset over Lavender's harsh words, but eating seemed more appealing than arguing with his girlfriend, so he nodded and walked into the Hall with Parvati, Lavender, and Harry, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table and digging in to the delicious assortment of food.

As the four sat down to eat, Ginny and Hermione walked in and took their seats at the Gryffindor table. Ginny sat down beside Harry, and Hermione sat down beside Ron.

"Hey guys!" Ginny said cheerfully.

"How's everything going?" Hermione greeted.

"Ew'ryting gufd, Myne, " Ron mumbled, his mouth full of food.

Ginny looked at him with a disgusted face, "You could have swallowed before answering, Ronald. You know mom is always getting onto you about talking with your mouth full."

"Sorry," Ron said sheepishly. Hermione just smiled and nodded then looked at Harry to see how he was doing.

"Everything's fine, 'Mione. I see you changed since earlier. You look beautiful. Red's a nice color for you," Harry answered, smiling at Hermione, "And you look great too, Gin. You always do."

The girls both thanked Harry and started dishing up their plates of food. As they were piling food onto their plates, Romulus Ames, a quiet boy in a number of Hermione's upper-level classes came and sat down next to Hermione. Unlike the other guys, he recognized her right away. He had known from the beginning how lovely Hermione was, and he was also happy she decided to do something nice for herself.

"Hello, Hermione," Romulus said politely.

"Hey, Romulus! You have no idea how nice it is for someone to recognize me." Hermione said with a light-hearted smile, "How are you doing tonight? Did you go to Hogsmeade?"

"I'm doing well, thank you. Yes, I went and hung out at the bookstore. I was surprised I didn't see you there, but now I know why. You look lovely," Romulus said, his cheeks turning a bit pink.

"Thank you, Romulus," Hermione said, giving him a small side-hug.

Ron, watching the entire scene with his jaw clenched, glared at Romulus. "Who are you? Since when do you go to Hogwarts?" Ron asked, quite rudely.

"Ron! Romulus has gone to school with us since first year. He just doesn't get into as much trouble as we do and he doesn't play quidditch, so you don't see him very often." Hermione responded on Romulus' behalf.

"Oh," Ron said, slightly embarrassed, "Sorry, Romulus. I just never really see you around, and Hermione is usually with Harry, Ginny or me."

"It's fine, Ronald," Romulus responded tactfully. "Don't mention it, but that's kind of why I sat here," he said, turning to Hermione, "Would you like to go out to eat this next Saturday? We have another Hogsmeade trip coming up, and I thought it would be fun to hang out. Don't feel obligated to say yes. I understand if you've already made plans."

Hermione glanced over at Ginny who nodded at her encouragingly, and then she beamed at Romulus and said, "I'd love to. Where are we going? What time?"

Romulus sighed in relief that he had not been turned down and looked at Hermione with a bright smile, "I was thinking we could meet in the Gryffindor common room at 10am and spend the day together, then we could go out to eat at the new Italian food restaurant in Hogsmeade. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds wonderful. I love Italian food. I'm really looking forward to this." Hermione responded.

"Great. I'll see you in classes. Talk to you later, Hermione." He turned to the rest of the group and nodded politely, "See you all around."

Most of the group responded politely to Romulus' goodbye. Well, all of the group…except a certain red-head whose ears were turning a bright shade of red. After Romulus was out of the Great Hall he said, "'Mione, I don't know if you going out with this Romulus character is a good idea. There's something about him I don't like."

"Ron! You're being stupid. He's a perfectly nice guy, and he and Hermione have so much in common. They love reading, learning, muggle entertainment…and I'm sure there's more. They will probably find out on Saturday." Ginny said, throwing Hermione a wink."

"Well, maybe Lavender and I should go along, just in case. We don't know him very well. He could be dangerous." Ron stated stubbornly.

"I don't know him very well, but he seems like a really nice guy, Ron. Taking you and Lavender along may make him uncomfortable. He's a bit shy around those he doesn't know. Thanks for trying to look out for me, though." Hermione said, putting a hand on top of his caringly.

Ron blushed and smiled, "You know that's all I am trying to do. I care about you…a lot."

"I know, Ron" Hermione replied warmly, "I appreciate it." Hermione kissed him on the cheek and then found her shirt covered in pumpkin juice that suspiciously launched itself from clear on the other side or Ron.

"Oops! I'm sorry, Hermione! I didn't mean to do that." Lavender said in a disgustingly fake tone.

"You didn't mean to my foot! That's not just a spill. She's not even sitting next to you. What are you going to say next? You have arm spasms?" Ginny said, clearly annoyed.

Hermione looked down at her drenched blouse and excused herself from the table, not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone in the Great Hall. It would be embarrassing for everyone involved, and she had too much class for that. Ginny shot Lavender a final withering glare as Lavender babbled trying to make an excuse for herself then Ginny followed Hermione out of the hall.

"That was really mature, Lavender. You just can't stand to not be the center of attention," Harry said, angrily, he had put up with enough that day, and he left the table as well.

Lavender looked to Parvati for support, but she just shook her head sadly, disappointed with how low her friend had sunk that day and how poorly she had treated Hermione. She also left.

Ron stared at Lavender intently, "Well? Why'd you have to do that? Hermione just bought that new blouse and it looked very nice on her, and you just had to spill something on her."

"It was an accident, Won-Won! I didn't even realize I was doing it until it was already on her!" Lavender replied, trying too hard to plead her case.

"I don't know why you're lying about it. I already told you I understand that you can be the jealous type, but don't you think you went a bit far this time?" with that, Ron left as well, Lavender now without her dinner companions, had the entire Gryffindor table staring at her curiously. She quickly gathered her stuff and took off to the common room after Ron.


	8. Chapter 8

Denying Love—Chapter 8 

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related to it.

Recap:_ Ron stared at Lavender intently, "Well? Why'd you have to do that? Hermione just bought that new blouse and it looked very nice on her, and you just had to spill something on her."_

"It was an accident, Won-Won! I didn't even realize I was doing it until it was already on her!" Lavender replied, trying too hard to plead her case.

"_I don't know why you're lying about it. I already told you I understand that you can be the jealous type, but don't you think you went a bit far this time?" with that, Ron left as well, Lavender now without her dinner companions, had the entire Gryffindor table staring at her curiously. She quickly gathered her stuff and took off to the common room after Ron._

On with the Story…

Ginny finally caught up with Hermione when she made it to the portrait of the fat lady by the Gryffindor Common Room. "Bravery," Hermione mumbled softly and the portrait opened, the Fat Lady looking down at Hermione sadly. She always liked the girl. Hermione usually took the time to be polite and speak with her, and something had obviously gotten her down. She also noticed the spill on her shirt, and she'd be willing to bet that Hermione had not spilled it on herself.

"Things will get better, my dear. They always do." The portrait said as she opened. Hermione offered her a weak half-smile and continued up to her room. Once past the portrait, Ginny started in on her tirade.

"I don't know where she got the nerve to do something like that! Just wait until the next time I see her. I am going to hex her so badly she won't want to ever say anything negative about anyone again. What shall I do? She's very self-centered and into her looks. Perhaps I'll turn her pretty-blonde hair green and short? Maybe I'll make her break out in horrible boils so Ron won't even want to look at her. Or perhaps I'll make it so every time she tries to kiss him she gets the hiccups. Yes…that sounds good," Ginny ranted, smiling evilly.

Although Hermione thought many of those ideas sounded absolutely hilarious, she decided that she would not want to partake in such behavior. "Ginny, just let it drop. We don't want to stoop to her level. She's just being herself. I don't know why I would have expected her to act any differently. She's never really liked me, especially since she's been dating Ron. Maybe I'll just stay out of the way for a while. I can get to know Romulus better, anyway.

At first Ginny opened her mouth to protest what Hermione was saying, but then she closed it quickly with a grin. Ginny thought that Hermione hanging out with Romulus was a brilliant idea, but for a different reason. Ginny wanted Hermione to hang out with Romulus to make Ron jealous and cause him to see how great Hermione was, but Ginny also knew that Hermione would not go along with any plan that would be using another person for personal gain. Therefore, Ginny knew that she should pretend that she would be supportive of the plan just because she thought Hermione should give Romulus a chance. Hermione may be the brightest one in the group, but Ginny was definitely the most sneaky and cunning, "Hermione, I want you to hang around with us, but maybe it is a good idea to give that Romulus guy a chance. I mean, he sounds like a good match for you, and he obviously likes you. Just remember you're still always welcome to hang around with us, and you are required to hang out with me. I'd miss you too much if you stayed away for a while."

Hermione smiled at Ginny and gave her a big hug. "You're right, Gin. I should give him a chance. Right now, I just want to go up to my room and work on some homework then fall asleep. Thank you for all you've done for me. I love you like my sister."

"I love ya too, Hermione. If you need anything throughout the night or any time, don't hesitate to come find me. I'll either be in the common room or in my room. If you need to escape from Lavender, you can always come and rest in my room, too." Ginny replied.

"After all of the events of the night, I doubt that Lavender will be coming into the room any time soon. She's never been one for one-on-one confrontations with people, and I have a feeling that although she may not be the brightest witch in the class, she knows better than to mess with me any more tonight. Sleep well, Gin. I'll see you in the morning."

"See you in the morning! Sleep tight!" Ginny said, and with that, Hermione walked into her room and Ginny went back to the Gryffindor Common room. As she went down there, Harry came walking in through the door. "Is Hermione alright?" Harry asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Yes, she's fine. She just wants to be alone to do some homework and get some rest. It has been a long day for her." Ginny said plopping down on a sofa. Harry sat down next to her and sighed.

"I don't know why Lavender needs to start problems all of the time. She's much more trouble than she's worth. I wish that Ron would see that. Hermione is a much better match for him anyway." Harry stated.

"Hermione told you that she liked Ron? When did she do that?" Ginny questioned.

"Hermione never told me straight-out, but I put it together. I think that for anyone who knows her well, it's fairly obvious. The only one who doesn't realize this is Ron himself. He's so dense sometimes. I don't know how you two are related." Harry replied.

Ginny smiled at Harry, "Sometimes I doubt it myself, but the signature Weasley looks," she said, pointing to her hair, "gives it away. He's not so bad all the time. He just doesn't understand females very well. Hopefully he'll come around sooner or later. Preferably sooner. Hermione really cares for him. I have a feeling that Lavender is just interested in dating a part of the 'Golden Trio.'"

Harry looked thoughtful for a minute. "You really think that's all that Lavender wants?" he asked, truly curious.

"Well, I don't know if that's all. But I think that it's a big part of it." Ginny responded truthfully.

"I hope for his sake that she's looking for more, but I don't know how long he will put up with her bashing Hermione. It's getting really old, really quickly. If I was a witch, I would have already hexed her by now," Harry said.

Ginny grinned, "I have already spoken to Hermione about my wishes and intentions to hex Lavender, but she doesn't want to 'stoop to her level'"

"That sounds like our Hermione. Always noble. I wish sometimes she would let us get a bit of revenge for her, though." Harry stated. "Well, I think I'm going to get up to my room and get some rest. You probably should, too. We have quidditch practice in the morning before breakfast." Harry reminded Ginny, standing up and then offering a hand to help her up off the sofa.

Ginny blushed slightly and took Harry's hand, getting off the couch. "Have a good night, Harry. I'll see you in the morning."

"'Night, Gin." Harry replied, and without thinking about it gave her a small peck on the cheek and headed up to his room.

Ginny stood there for a moment, a bit stunned but very happy. She mentally scolded herself about getting so excited over a small kiss on the cheek, but she still practically floated up the stairs to her bedroom and laid down, a wide smile still spread across her face.

When Parvati made it up to the room she shared with Lavender and Parvati, she went immediately over to Hermione and sat next to her on her bed. She started rambling quickly, "Hermione! I'm so sorry about what Lavender said. She's being just awful to you. Please don't be mad at me! I don't think negatively of you at all. Lavender is just being mean because Ron obviously likes you more than he likes her and she's having problems dealing with it, and I know it's no excuse, but she's just like that and…" Parvati fit all of that in without taking a breath before Hermione interrupted her, due to the fact that she didn't want Parvati to pass out from lack of oxygen.

"Parvati!" Hermione interjected, "Don't feel bad. It's okay. You shouldn't be apologizing to me. You're not her keeper. You have no control over what Lavender said. If anything, she should be apologizing. However, I don't see that coming unless Ron makes her. I know you don't have a problem with me. I don't have one with you either. Everything is fine with us."

Parvati smiled at Hermione, glad she didn't yell at her over the situation. "So, what are you doing now?"

"Oh, I was just planning on working on homework. I like to stay ahead, you know that." Hermione said with a light-hearted smile.

"Yes, I think the whole school knows that," Parvati replied cheerfully. "Well, I'll leave you to that. If you need anything, I'll be down in the Gryffindor Common Room. Don't hesitate to come talk to me. I know I'm Lavender's best friend, but I'm still always willing to talk about anything with you."

"Thanks, Parvati. I appreciate it." Hermione replied.

"No problem," Parvati responded, and she went out of the room.

Hermione tried to get back to studying, but she couldn't help but to focus on one line of what Parvati had said_, "Lavender is just being mean because Ron obviously likes you more than he likes her" _She kept wondering what exactly Parvati meant by that. Obviously, they had been friends for a long time, but did he really like her more than he liked Lavender? She wanted to find out, but she decided that now was the wrong time to go ask Parvati about it. She forced herself to remain focused on her work while a disagreement broke out downstairs.

"Ron. Please talk to me. You know I didn't really do that to be mean to Hermione. I've already explained to you how I get jealous. You were just all into her. I am supposed to be the center of your world. You shouldn't look at anyone else the way you looked at Hermione. She's not the prettiest girl in school. I am. Most guys around here would be happy to have me." Lavender pleaded with Ron.

"Lavender, just go away for a while! I need time to think, which is not happening with you continuing to whine and follow me around. Once I have my thoughts sorted out, I'll find you. Until then, give me some space." Ron instructed her, "Oh," he said in an after-thought, "Hermione is one of the prettiest girls in the school, by the way. Did you see how many of the guys were staring at her during lunch today? You can't tell me that you don't think she's the least bit pretty."

Lavender sent Ron a glare, "She's not as pretty as I am. I get those looks all the time. But fine! I'll give you your _space_. You know I'm not a very patient person, though. I hope you sort out these thoughts soon." Lavender sneered before she went over to talk to another girl in her class, telling her about how mean her Ronald was being over Hermione Granger. Ron just rolled his eyes and went up to his bedroom, ready to get some rest.

Hermione figured that Lavender must have found elsewhere to sleep that night because when she woke up, she only saw Parvati's sleeping figure, and she never saw Lavender return that night. She shrugged it off and went through her morning rituals: bathing, brushing the teeth, fixing her hair, applying makeup. She put an emerald green blouse and a black skirt and threw her Hogwarts robe over her arm, grabbing her books to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast. When she descended down the steps from her room, she was happily surprised to see Romulus standing there, apparently waiting for her with bouquet of Yellow and Red roses. She beamed at him and stopped at the bottom of the staircase to talk to him.

"These are for you," Romulus said, his voice quiet but clear, "I hope you like them, being Gryffindor colors and all…"

"They're perfect. Thank you!" Hermione said, wrapping him in a big hug. She transfigured her quill into a vase and put the flowers in them and took them up to her room before meeting him back downstairs. "So, what are you doing now?"

"Well," Romulus said, slightly nervous, "I was hoping you'd join me for breakfast."

"I'd love to!" Hermione replied merrily.

Romulus' nervous smile turned into a bright, happy one and he offered her an arm to escort her down to the Great Hall. Hermione took it and they started their trip to breakfast. They chatted cheerfully about their favorite classes and professors, and they were the first from their house to make it down to breakfast that morning. They sat together and ate peacefully before Harry and Ron walked in. Harry happily started walking over toward the chatty couple, but Ron stalked over, glaring at Romulus the entire time. Hermione looked up to greet her two friends and caught the look on Ron's face. _Oh dear_ she thought_ this will be a _fun_ breakfast…_


	9. Chapter 9

Denying Love—Chapter 9 

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

A/N: Sorry it has been so long since I last updated! I did keep it under a month, which is my goal for while I'm in school. I'll try to have my next update done quicker. Who knows? Maybe I'll have it before Monday if I get lots of reviews. ; ) Thanks for the reviews that I have gotten! Here goes the new chapter.

Recap:

"_Well," Romulus said, slightly nervous, "I was hoping you'd join me for breakfast."_

"_I'd love to!" Hermione replied merrily._

Romulus' nervous smile turned into a bright, happy one and he offered her an arm to escort her down to the Great Hall. Hermione took it and they started their trip to breakfast. They chatted cheerfully about their favorite classes and professors, and they were the first from their house to make it down to breakfast that morning. They sat together and ate peacefully before Harry and Ron walked in. Harry happily started walking over toward the chatty couple, but Ron stalked over, glaring at Romulus the entire time. Hermione looked up to greet her two friends and caught the look on Ron's face. Oh dear she thought this will be a fun breakfast…

New Chapter

"Hey Hermione! Hey Romulus!" Harry greeted cheerfully.

"Hey Harry!" Hermione greeted with a wide smile.

"Hello Harry, Ron," Romulus greeted politely.

Harry smiled at Romulus and Hermione while Ron grumbled what one could assume to be a "Hello" in their general direction as Ron took a seat next to Hermione and Harry took a seat across from Ron.

"So, where's Gin? Wasn't she at practice with you guys this morning?" Hermione asked

"Yeah, she should be coming down shortly. I asked if she wanted us to wait for her, but she told us to go on down since Ron's stomach was talking to us already," Harry responded, grinning at Ron.

"It was not! She was hearing things. She always likes to make fun of me…" Ron grumpily insisted as his stomach made a rather large growl. Harry, Hermione and Romulus laughed at the timing while Ron's face turned red and he started to pile mountains of food onto his plate.

Harry got lots of food on his plate and had also started eating by the time Ginny had gotten down to the breakfast table and sat next to Harry, across from Hermione. Ginny smiled and winked at Hermione and Romulus. "Hey, everyone!" Ginny stated merrily.

"Hey, Ginny!" Hermione said with a broad smile.

"Hello, Ginny." Romulus said warmly.

"Hey, Gin!" Harry said enthusiastically.

"Hrro Gyvn," Ron said with his mouth full.

Ginny smiled at everyone until Ron greeted her then rested her forehead in her hand. "Ronald, will you ever learn to swallow before talking?"

Ron turned an even brighter shade of red and sent a glare at Ginny before continuing to eat.

"So, you two are up early. I know that's usual for you, Hermione. But is there any special occasion?" Ginny questioned Hermione and Romulus.

Romulus responded, "Well, I just thought it'd be nice to go to breakfast together this morning, and I knew she generally was up early, so I asked if she'd like to come with me." He turned to Hermione, "I was also hoping you would accompany me for a walk out on the grounds after breakfast. It's nice out, and I thought we could talk some more."

Ginny's face split into an even more enthused smile, and Hermione blushed slightly and nodded, "That sounds wonderful. I'd love to."

Harry also thought that this was a brilliant idea. However, Ron seemed to disagree with the rest of the Gryffindors. "What do you guys have to talk about? Can't you talk about it at the table. Hermione won't like being late to her first class."

"Ron!" Ginny responded for Hermione, "Hermione doesn't have her first class for two hours. They can go for a walk. You are not Hermione's keeper. Let her do what she wants."

"I was just curious." Ron grumbled. "Maybe I should walk along with you guys. It is a nice day out. I could use the fresh air, too.

Romulus, always the gentleman, said "If you'd like to, you're welcome to come along."

Ginny, however, knew why he was doing this and disagreed. "Ron, you were already out in the fresh air for practice. Let them have some alone time. Maybe in the meantime you can find something large enough to cover your girlfriend's much-too-large mouth."

Hermione tensed at the change in topic, not wanting to engage in a conversation about Lavender. Romulus sensed the sudden change in Hermione's attitude and stood up, offering Hermione his arm to escort her out of the area. "Shall we start our walk now?"

Hermione nodded, silently thanking him, "Yes. That sounds lovely." She stood and took his arm, turning to her friends, "I'll talk to you all later." She then smiled brightly at Romulus as they walked out to the grounds in at first a peaceful silence.

"I'm very excited for the Hogsmeade trip this weekend. I heard that Merlin's Books got the newest edition of _Dangerous and Potent Potions_ in. I hope you won't mind stopping at the bookstore. I'd like to pick it up," Romulus said casually.

"Did they really? I've been waiting for that to come out as well. Of course I won't mind stopping in the bookstore. I'm actually relieved that we won't be spending a large chunk of our day in quidditch shops." Hermione replied

Romulus chucked softly and flashed her a beautiful smile, "You won't have to worry about that. So, what's going on with you and Lavender? I saw what she did last night. It was rather rude. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want. However, I'm open to listen if you'd like to talk about it."

Hermione stiffened momentarily, but then decided that no harm would come in telling Romulus about Lavender's problem. "You see, Lavender is for some reason worried about Ron being interested in me. She has been particularly nasty since Ginny took me to get this new…appearance. I try to be as civil to her as I can, but she makes it very difficult."

Romulus nodded, "She's really quite used to being the center of the attention. I imagine she doesn't like anyone giving you attention, least of all Ron. Maybe she'll get over it soon when she sees how her childish behavior is impacting her relationships with others. Until then, just try your best to ignore her. You're doing an admirably good job at it already. I'm impressed by how well you handle the nuisance."

Hermione blushed and looked down a bit as a result of his praise. They continued speaking about various potions that they thought would appear in the new book they were both eager to purchase.

Meanwhile, back in the Great Hall…

"Ginny, why did you have to bring up Lavender? You know Hermione's sore about her." Ronald shouted venomously.

"Well, if you would teach her to behave well around Hermione, and you wouldn't let her get away with saying such terrible things about her, then Hermione wouldn't have to be "sore about her," Ronald." Ginny spat back in an acidic tone.

"For you information, I have been trying to get her to stop. Lavender and I haven't spoken since last night when I told her to give me some space because I was tired of dealing with her and her problems with Hermione." Ron stated, matter-of-factly.

"Good! It's about time you stood up for Hermione. How long will this last, though? Can you hold out long enough for her to become genuinely apologetic, or will you take her back as soon as she uses her _cute_ little pout on you?" Ginny asked with disgust.

"I don't know how long this will last! How could I? All I know is that for right now Lavender and I are not on speaking terms." Ron answered, coldly.

"So…pumpkin juice, anyone?" Harry asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

Ginny cracked a weak smile and pushed her glass over to where Harry filled it. "Thanks, Harry," she stated calmly, having had a bit of time to cool down.

Ron just glared at some imaginary spot on the table. "What do you think they're talking about?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Who? Hermione and Romulus? I don't know. I imagine they're talking about something that would go way over my head. I'm glad she has an equal to have these conversations with, now. I always tried to talk to her deeper thoughts, but half the time I didn't understand any of it." Harry replied.

"I could have those conversations with her. I don't know why she found this new guy." Ron stated, seriously.

Ginny and Harry tried to hide their amusement. "Ron! She's tried having deep, intellectual conversations with you. You usually get a blank expression on your face and you can see that you are daydreaming about something completely unrelated to what she's talking about. Then when she addresses you about the conversation or asks you a question, you say, 'Mmhmm,'" Ginny responded, "Plus," she added cheekily, "she didn't find a new guy. He found her."

Ron turned red again, "I don't know what he wants with her, but I'm going to find out. I just know this guy is up to no good."

"Ron," Harry responded, "Don't you think you're being a bit judgmental? You didn't even know who the guy was until when he sat down and started talking to her at supper last night. For all you know, they could be great together. You should give him a chance. I think you'll be seeing a lot more of him now anyway. You can get to know him better then make a better-informed opinion on his personality. I think he's a nice guy. Hermione seems to like him. This could be what she needs."

Ron just nodded grumpily, but inside he thought, _Well, what if I want to be what she needs…_ However, he pushed aside that thought quickly. He was with Lavender, even if they weren't talking at the time. He shouldn't be having these thoughts about Hermione, anyway. There was no way that Hermione would like him like that. She needed someone smarter. Someone who wouldn't daydream when she talked to him. Someone more like Romulus. He sighed and finished eating before going up to gather his stuff and finishing an essay quickly before his first class.

The rest of the week passed rather quickly. Romulus continued to eat with the Golden trio and Ginny. He would also frequently accompany Hermione on long walks outside, which she had to admit that she enjoyed. He was very insightful and interesting to speak with. Although she didn't get the same feeling with him as she got with Ron, she was beginning to grow to like Romulus. She was definitely looking forward to their upcoming Hogsmeade trip together.

During the week, Lavender continued to beg Ron for forgiveness and assure him that such an event would never happen again. She even apologized to Hermione in order to gain Ron's forgiveness. Although Hermione did not take a word of the apology seriously, she forgave Lavender, anyway. The way she saw it, it was no use to hold a grudge against anyone. Grudges are never positive things to hold against anyone. With that apology, Ron took Lavender back on that Friday night right before the Hogsmeade trip.

Ginny and Harry had also started talking more frequently. Often, they would discuss the issues going on with their friends'. Sometimes, they would talk about quidditch together. They frequently sat and did homework together, just enjoying each others company. They had decided to go to Hogsmeade with Lavender and Ron this weekend, even though neither of them were particularly looking forward to hanging out with Lavender. They still wanted to hang out with Ron, and they didn't want to intrude on Hermione's _date_ with Romulus.

Saturday morning came, and Ginny was knocking on the door of Hermione's room bright and early. Hermione went and opened the door with a yawn, obviously having still been enjoying her rest. "What's going on, Gin?" Hermione asked, truly curious.

"We have to get you ready! It's your big date with Romulus! I can't believe you were still sleeping! Come along! Let's find you something to wear! Get in the shower and I will have everything ready for you by the time you come out!" Ginny responded, almost in a drill-sergeant manner.

Hermione took one last look at her warm cozy bed then obeyed Ginny's command, getting into the shower and thinking about what the day would bring.


	10. Chapter 10

Denying Love—Chapter 10 

Disclaimer: I don't own it.

A/N: Thanks for the positive reviews! They're always welcome. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Recap:

Saturday morning came, and Ginny was knocking on the door of Hermione's room bright and early. Hermione went and opened the door with a yawn, obviously having still been enjoying her rest. "What's going on, Gin?" Hermione asked, truly curious.

"_We have to get you ready! It's your big date with Romulus! I can't believe you were still sleeping! Come along! Let's find you something to wear! Get in the shower and I will have everything ready for you by the time you come out!" Ginny responded, almost in a drill-sergeant manner._

_Hermione took one last look at her warm cozy bed then obeyed Ginny's command, getting into the shower and thinking about what the day would bring._

New Chapter

When Hermione emerged from the shower with a towel on, she found Ginny engaged in a heated argument with her roommates, Lavender and Parvati. Lavender and Parvati looked about ready to pounce on Ginny, and Hermione knew why. Ginny messed with their beauty sleep.

"What in the name of MERLIN are you doing here at this time, Ginny Weasley?" Lavender screeched.

Ginny had what Hermione knew to be her sarcastic smile plastered on her face when she responded calmly, "Well, I'm here to get Hermione ready, of course."

Parvati seemed to calm down slightly at this, but Lavender decided to continue her rant, "Well I realize that you are going to have to do quite a bit of work, but couldn't you have done this somewhere else?".

Parvati put her head in her hands. _Did she REALLY have to go there, AGAIN?_ She thought in frustration. Meanwhile, Hermione stayed quiet in the doorway of the bathroom, no one had realized she was standing there yet.

Ginny's frustration hit the ceiling at this point. "LAVENDER! What the HECK is wrong with you? Hermione has done absolutely nothing to you, and you are being the most rude and self-centered person I have ever met in my entire life. Hermione's more naturally beautiful than you have EVER been. Do you think that all of us girls are too stupid to realize that you put a lot of time and money into your appearance. I'm sure your daddy spent a lot of money to have that mediwizard perform that breast augmentation spell as well as he did. What about your nose? You lost the bump and some of the width it had during your second year here. The boys may be too daft to notice these things, but the girls all know. I understand that you are jealous of Hermione, but mark my word, if you say one more nasty thing about her, I WILL make you pay. No amount of money and appearance-enhancing spells will undo what I could do to you. Do you understand?"

Lavender's eyes were so wide that Ginny thought they were going to pop out. She glanced over at Parvati and saw her look slightly concerned, but Parvati had her hand over her lips like she was trying to hide a smile. She then glanced over to the door of the bathroom and saw Hermione standing there quietly. She looked mildly upset about the whole ordeal, but Ginny could tell in her eyes that she was secretly grateful that Lavender might finally stop attacking her.

Lavender could not make out a coherent response, and so she just grabbed some clothing and marched out into the hallway. Parvati finally let out a small chuckle then followed Lavender to help her cool down. With the two of them gone, Ginny turned her attention fully onto Hermione. "So, are you ready to have me work my magic on you?"

Hermione smiled at Ginny's terrible pun and nodded, finally taking in what Ginny had done while she was showering. She had transfigured something into a beautiful vanity, and she had what Hermione thought to be all the cosmetics in existence lined up on it. Ginny motioned for Hermione to take a seat, and Hermione sat down in front of the large mirror.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to use all of this on you. It would look ridiculous. I just was wanting to see all of my options and decide which one I thought would look best with your outfit." Ginny said, reassuringly.

After looking over at the outfit that she had put on Hermione's bed, she decided what she was going to do. She decided that she was not going to put on any foundation because she wanted the makeup to be light. She applied a shimmery champagne colored eye shadow to Hermione's eyelids and then put on mascara. After she was sure that the eyes were done evenly, she decided to keep it simple since it was for the daytime and not some big dance or event. She applied a sheer lip gloss to Hermione's lips and then decided that nothing else needed to be done. Romulus recognized her beauty even before the makeover and prior to her putting on any makeup, so there was no use in going overboard when it was unnecessary.

After that, she decided to turn her attention to Hermione's hair. She muttered a quick drying spell, and she saw that the hair products that Hermione had been given worked quite well. Her hair dried into beautiful, shiny ringlets. However, she wanted to do something different. She pulled Hermione's long, curly hair back and put it into a messy bun with the help of some clips and hair ties. She put a quick spell on it to keep it the way it was after she had it just the way she wanted it.

Hermione admired the work that Ginny had put into her appearance in the mirror. She had to admit that Ginny had done a good job. She loved the simple, elegant style in which she had applied the makeup and done her hair.

While Hermione was looking in the mirror, Ginny brought over a bowl of warm water. "Soak your hands in it for about ten minutes." Ginny instructed as she went through one of the drawers of the vanity. Hermione did as she was instructed while she figured out what Ginny was going to be doing. She had never really had a manicure before, and she was rather excited to see how it would turn out.

After the ten minutes elapsed, Ginny took out a file and filed Hermione's nails to make them all well-rounded. Then, she took out a different tool and pushed back the cuticles on Hermione's nails. When she was finished with that, she took out the moisturizing lotion that she had pulled out of the drawer and gave Hermione a hand massage. Hermione was relaxing and decided that she quite liked getting manicures.

"When did you learn to give manicures, Ginny?" Hermione asked, truly curious.

"My mom and I give each other manicures during breaks. It's kind of a girl thing that she and I do for some time away from all my brothers." Ginny answered.

"Ah, well that would be fun. Perhaps I should suggest this to my mom." Hermione responded, thoughtfully. Ginny just smiled and applied a base coat before taking out an apricot-colored nail polish and white polish.

"I'm going to give you a French manicure with a twist. Instead of pink, I'm going to use apricot. I think it will turn out looking good." Ginny said, as she started to apply it. When she was finished, she saw that she was right. Hermione admired her nails and Ginny looked happily down at her work. Ginny painted her toenails in a similar fashion, and when it all dried, she took Hermione over to the bed where she had put the clothes for the day.

Hermione put on a simple, light-weight yellow dress with a white cardigan just as Ginny had put them on the bed. Ginny smiled when she saw how well everything came together. After she had her clothes on, Ginny searched through Hermione's closet and found a pair of white sandals and instructed Hermione to wear those. When the look was complete, Hermione looked at herself in the mirror and gave Ginny a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you so much, Ginny. I love it!" She said sincerely.

"No problem, 'Mione. Now, if you would excuse me, I need to go get ready myself. I'm sure Romulus will love the look."

After Ginny left, Hermione descended the staircase and saw Harry and Ron sitting together playing chess. Hermione walked over while they were very focused on the game and said, "So, how's the game going?"

Both boys jumped slightly at the sudden distraction then looked up at Hermione. Harry smiled and stood up to give her a hug. "Aww, our little 'Mione going out on a date. You look beautiful. Romulus had better be careful or some other guy may try to steal you away from him."

Hermione laughed and punched Harry lightly on the arm. "You're being silly, but thanks."

Ron stood up and gave Hermione a hug as well. "You really do look great, 'Mione. Are you sure you want to waste the look on Romulus? I'm still not sure that he's right for you. What if he turns out to be some creepy stalker guy? That's why Lavender and I should go with you….to protect you, ya know?"

Hermione sighed, "Ron, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Romulus. Besides, you know how Lavender feels about me. For the everyone's sake, I think it is best that you and Lavender stick with the plan of going with Harry and Ginny. I will be fine. I'm not exactly a damsel in distress anyway, Ron. It's sweet that you are concerned, though."

Ron blushed a bit and nodded, "I know you're not weak, Hermione. We just worry. Lavender said that she actually does like you, though. She just gets jealous is all. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you do change your mind."

Hermione wanted to roll her eyes at how utterly fooled Ron still was by Lavender, but she decided to stay neutral about it. Harry looked at Ron like he was an idiot, but he also remained silent.

Hermione watched them for a few minutes, then Romulus came up behind her. "Good morning, Hermione. You look absolutely beautiful."

Hermione blushed a bit at the compliment and turned to face Romulus and gave him a brief hug as a greeting and turned to stand beside him, both of them facing Harry and Ron.

"Good morning Harry, Ron." Romulus said politely.

"Good morning!" Harry responded, "I hear you two are in for a fun day."

"Morning," Ron said, reluctantly.

Romulus smiled at them both, "I think it will be fun, especially with such wonderful company."

Hermione thought she heard what could best be described as a growl coming from Ron's throat after the last comment that Romulus left. Harry seemed to think the noise was hilarious and was biting down on his lower lip to prevent himself from laughing. Romulus glanced at Ron and lifted an eyebrow, but turned to Hermione, "So, are you ready to go?"

"Yes! See you two later!" Hermione responded, and they left go get on the carriages headed to Hogsmeade.

When they arrived, the first place they headed was to the bookstore. They were both excited about the potions book that they discussed previously. After finding it, they spent another few hours looking through dusty old tomes and discussing various potions and spells, exchanging information they already knew and looking up things when they ran into a topic they had questions about. They both left with several new books, which they shrunk down to make them easier to carry around.

They went to a few more shops before they started getting hungry. It was about 12:30 when they made it to the Italian restaurant that Romulus had mentioned. Hermione looked around, thoroughly appreciating the replicas of muggle art masterpieces they had decorating the walls.

"Just the two of you?" a waiter asked politely. Hermione had not even noticed him standing there since she was so caught up in her surroundings.

"Yes," Romulus responded congenially.

"Right this way, then" the waiter responded, leading them back to a cozy little booth. "Will this be suitable?"

"Yes," Hermione replied with a smile.

"Good, then may I start you off with something to drink?" the waiter asked.

"I'd just like some tea." Romulus replied.

"I'll have the same," Hermione chimed in.

"I'll have those right out for you two, then." The waiter said as he disappeared.

Hermione watched him disappear then turned to Romulus, who had his attention at the entrance of the restaurant. Hermione followed his line of vision to see what he was staring at. She was only slightly surprised to see Ron with a rather disgruntled Lavender and exasperated Ginny and Harry along with him.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at Romulus, "Well, this should be a rather interesting dinner."

Romulus nodded and watched as Ron lead the waitress to the table he wanted…the one right beside the booth where he was currently seated.


End file.
